In Memory of a Brave Blossom
by Foreveralways101
Summary: My name is Sarada Uchiha. I am the only daughter of Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. I am one of the few left who possess the Sharingan. Being an Uchiha, I have a heavy burden. However, I'm not here to continue my father's goals. I'm here to honor the legacy of the woman who gave up everything for me. And I will avenge my mother's death.
1. Chapter 1

**New story! This will be part of a trilogy in some ways. This is one installment of it. The first part that explains why things are the way they are in this story will be posted soon. I had used this idea for something else but now that there is a canon SasuSaku daughter Sarada, I decided to change the dynamics of the story to better fit canon.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**.

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><p>The sky was already turning from a redish and orange tinted hue to the darkening colors of night. The colors of the world were blushing out into a deep blue that would soon dominate the sky.<p>

Along the open, silent courtyard of the Uchiha estate, a lone young woman stood observing the ever changing sky. The summertime breeze blew past her midnight colored hair, as if in a soft caress to diminish her inner turmoil.

She had a small yet powerful frame to her, with creamy alabaster skin, beautiful dark hair that was at the moment tied up in a bun, and a pretty face that always had boys at her feet.

At a quick glance, anyone would assume this was the famed Godaime's apprentice in her youth minus the radically different coloring.

But if one were to look mor closely, the girl's skin was a different hue, her hair dark, and her eyes were a deep onyx instead of emerald green.

The girl was at the young age of sixteen, yet had already seen more than someone her age should see. She was dressed in black training clothes that bore the fan of her clan.

She fought back the tears that threatened to spill, gritting her teeth together to fight her pain. Her heart ached in heartache and loss. In her gloved hands was a forehead protector that bore the Hidden Leaf Village's symbol.

Yet to her it was more than a mere forehead protector. Its bands were a deep pink color that contrasted sharply with her black hair. It was the only thing she had left of her mother. It was a part of the woman she'd loved so much that was left to her. That was here and hers alone to cherish.

Her tears finally spilled, cascading freely down her cheeks as she grasped her forehead protector so hard that her knuckles turned white under her dark gloves.

As her anger and pain intensified, the dark hues of her eyes bled to a crimson red. Her Sharingan activated, but the design of it was vastly different to what it had been in the past.

The girl's Sharingan first activated when she was eleven, and she'd done an excellent job of mastering it, especially under her father's instruction, for he was a master. That was he greater moment of her childhood, form he was now a true Uchiha. It also meant she would no longer have to use the glasses she'd had to wear throughout her childhood. That day, she stopped being a book worm and started training to become a true ninja.

However, after the tragedy she's witnessed, the horrible, gut wrenching loss of watching the woman she most admired and loved in this world ripped away from life, and all to save her, the bloodline limit changed.

It's said that the Mangekyō Sharingan is awakened through the trauma experienced from the death of a person very close to the Sharingan user. To obtain it, one must feel the emotion of losing someone very dear to them.

The girl's eyes, that once had the distinctive three tomoes, now seemed darker, fiercer, and were now that of pinwheels; her eyes seemed to spiral as she eyed the dark sunset with bloody eyes.

All her life she's felt left out, like she doesn't belong to her family, to her clan. She didn't know who she was.

Sakura Uchiha, or Haruno as she is best remembered, was the one who guided this lost girl and made her a strong young woman capable of controlling her bloodline limit and keeping up with her prodigy brother. She taught her, loved her, encouraged her, was there when her father wasn't. There when her father was far too busy with his son or off on his travels.

Sarada had been finding path. She had her mother's loving support and finally had someone to look up to, to teach her, to be there when no one else was.

Her hand gripped the forehead protector tighter, tears flowing endlessly down her cheeks as she shut her eyes tightly, her small yet powerful frame shaking. She felt as though a knife had struck her heart and was being sickly twisted.

Some bastards attacked Konoha to seek vengeance against her father and the village. There were devastating days of destruction and chaos within the village, reminding many of Pein's invasion so many years ago.

Even the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, could do little due to his position and the well hidden tactics of the rogue nins. They knew how to hide themselves and when to target the ones they wanted. Their attacks were by surprise and precise.

And Sakura fought until the very end, acting as any clan matriarch and kunoichi of Konoha would. She went down smiling, despite the blood pouring out of her mouth. She knew what she was doing; even all her medical prowess could not save her. She was too far gone.

Yet even in her dying moments, she smiled for her daughter, the one she'd set out to protect, and told her how much she loved her and how proud she was. She stroked her child's hair and used her last breath to give one last piece of advice.

_Don't allow yourself to be consumed by hatred, Baby girl. Replace hatred and pain with love. Love will set you free._

The words rang over and over in the girl's mind and the tears came harder.

Once upon a time she'd been happy. She was loved. But now a piece of her heart was dead. The woman who gave her life was dead. Her father was broken. And her family was a mess.

She hadn't known who she was or what she was to do. But now, a new determination awoke deep within her heart as she ferociously wiped her eyes and cheeks with her sleeve and opened her bloody eyes, eyes narrowed in the look of an avenger.

She could feel the blood of the avenger she called father coursing through her veins.

The girl composed herself and her face was emotionless, her lips formed in a thin line and her eyes spinning with anger and determination.

She took the forehead protector and tied across her forehead, tying it securely at the back of her head.

She was her mother's daughter. She would not fail her.

The sky was now dark and blue, with the first stars twinkling in its wake.

The young woman knew who she was and what she had to do.

With her new resolve, she looked to the sky, as if trying to communicate with her mother's spirit. As if to tell the heavens who she was and what she was setting out to do.

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><p><em>My name is Sarada Uchiha. I am the first Uchiha daughter born to the main house in four generations. I am the daughter of Sasuke Uchiha, the once famed avenger and last Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno, the greatest kunoichi and healer of her time. I have inherited the will of fire from my mother who had it handed down to her from her mentor the Godaime. I possess the sharingan, one of the most lethal and powerful bloodline limits in the world. I have the strength and attitude of my godmother the Godaime, and of my mother. I have the ungodly speed and Uchiha pride of my father. I am one of the last Uchihas left in existence.<em>

_The Mangekyō Sharingan is awakened through the trauma experienced from the death of a person very close to the Sharingan user. I have gone through such a horrifying experience. When my mother took her last breath, her chest open from the impact from the blow meant for me, my tears became those of anger and my Sharingan developed into the Mangekyō. That was over a week ago. _

_All my life I have been compared to my father, whether or not I would have the same ferocity and skill he had, considering I resemble him so much. Or to my mother, who trained me later on._

_But I am not them. I am not a skilled avenger like my father. I am not an amazing medic nin like my mother. Some say I have yet to fully inherit the heart of the Uchiha._

_I am their first child and only daugher._

_After me is my younger brother Itachi, named for our infamous uncle. Hes only ten. Itachi activated his Sharingan as well when he saw our mother's lifeless body._ He is the top student of his class and the object of affections of every young girl. _He's a good combination of our parents, with our father's spikey raven hair and his face while with our mother's emerald eyes and cheerful personality. Itachi is everything an Uchiha should be as a child; proud, confident and strong. Everything I wasn't. He is also our father's pride. He's always been a little prodigy. And he is so much like our uncle. Our father adores him for that fact, and because he __came along when the marriage of my parents was at its worst. I was seven at the time, and I remember nights of loud arguments, my father staying out all night to avoid Mama, and Mama crying her heart out in her bedroom._

_My little brother __was conceived when they were trying to rebuild their relationship after a mission gone wrong where they almost lost each other. Mama used to say Itachi was her miracle baby; he was sent to save our family and make it whole._

_Dad has always loved me, and once upon a time as a child, he was the greatest man in the world in my eyes. I used to call him Papa, because I loved him more than anyone. I wanted to be just like him. Whenever someone told me I was just like Sasuke in this or that, I would beam with pride. I didnt care how long he was away on his missions or travels, I would forgive him no matter what and wait for him to come back to Mama and me._

_But as I grew older and he favored my brother more every time due to his abilities or because he was like a part of Uncle Itachi that Dad couldn't let go of. I felt neglected and alone. Everyone said I didn't have the strength to be an Uchiha. I felt alone and misunderstood._

_But my mother was there for me; she told me a story of a young foolish girl who was always watching the backs of her two teammates. But she asked to be trained by the Godaime, and the Lady Tsunade took her under her wing, teaching her, guiding her, and molded her into the great woman she knew she could be._

_You did that for me, Mama. You, Granny Tsunade and Boruto were my support system, especially when Dad and I couldn't connect._

_You told me you taught me the ways of the will of fire and how to obtain the yin seal so I would be strong like you and Granny Tsunade. It was what you wanted to pass down to me, like Dad taught me how to use the sharingan._

_But I'm still trying to connect with my stored chakra to get the seal. You were supposed to watch me finally do it. You were supposed to be proud when I would finally be able to have the seal and use the byakugo. Like Granny Tsunade was proud of you when you did it during the Fourth War._

_I'm sorry I wasn't able to fully meet your hopes for me. I'm sorry I wasn't able to do it and make you proud._

_ Granny Tsunade died a few years ago. Is this how empty you felt? When the woman who believed in you and loved you was gone forever?_

_I may not be the greatest ninja. I may not be as strong as Dad. But I am my mother's daughter._

_I'm not here to continue my father's goals like my brother. He can be clan heir now for all I care._

_I'm here to honor the legacy of the woman who gave up everything for me. _

_And I will avenge my mother's death._

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><p><strong>So this is the prologue what do you guys think? Please leave a review! This story won't be too long the most maybe 3-5 chapters.<strong>

**I will also do a prequel leading up to these events so keep an eye out for that! **

**Thanks for reading :)**

**~Foreveralways**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone I'm sorry for the long wait, it was a crazy end of the semester and start up again. But here's chapter 2 and thanks to everyone who reviewed and liked my first one! I promise I'll try to update a little more often. For those who wanted to see more Sasuke in the story, he's all over this chapter xD**

**I hope everyone had a great holiday season and are having a good new year so far!**

**Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto, I do not**.

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><p>Looking out the window, there was a lone tall, dark figure watching the young woman taking her rage and crippling pains out on the open starry sky.<p>

He watched the way her shoulders heaved up and down, the ragged breaths she took that he knew from experience were not from the exertion of her earlier training, and the pure and utter rage that spun in her bloody eyes- eyes that she'd been both blessed and cursed with from his blood.

Sasuke Uchiha stood there in the window of his home, his long bangs almost covering his eyes as his own sharingan watched Sarada intently, reading her every movement and etching her pained expression to permanent memory. His breath caught in his throat momentarily as her eyes opened into the Mangekyō Sharingan. He still found it hard to believe his precious daughter had activated the ultimate form of sharingan. Under normal circumstances, he would've been proud, for Sarada has always been a prodigy sharingan weilder. Talented at the art, just as her father and uncle before her.

Now, however, he wished she hadn't. Not considering the trauma she was forced to endure in order to fully awaken it.

His large hand balled into a fist and crumpled a piece of paper that was in it as tears stung the older Uchiha's eyes for the first time in many years. He hadn't felt this type of crippling pain since he learned the truth of the Uchiha Massacre in the wake of Itachi's death.

He looked with a pained expression to his first born child as she stared at the sky with a face he knew all too well. The way her jaw was set determinedly and the way her bloody eyes narrowed, as if making a silent promise of vengeance.

It reminded him of himself twenty years ago, when his only goal was to avenge his clan and beloved brother.

She's far too much like me for her own good, he told himself silently as his sharingan and rinnegan deactivated and his eyes returned to their usual midnight hue.

His breath hitched as he moved away from the window. Sasuke was aching with every fiber of his being to run out there, embrace his little girl and soothe away her worries and fears as he had done when she was a child. Back when he was her hero and she would go to him for anything.

But that was then. Ever since Itachi was born, Sarada had slowly begun to pull away from her father. She would always go to her mother for everything, and began resenting her father the more he was away or trained Itachi to live up to his uncle's name and legacy.

And now that Sakura had- The Uchiha's breath hitched and crumpled the paper even more as he stood next to the roaring fire place-died, Sarada resented him all the more. He could feel the blame radiating from her in the wake of Sakura's untimely death.

And she was right. For many people blamed him for his wife's death- Ino, Sai, Tenten, Bolt, Shikadai, Temari, hell even the calm Kakashi. His own daughter resented him the most for it.

Only Naruto and Shikamaru seemed to try and be neutral on the subject and not immediately condemn him. Shikamaru tried to keep his cool facade and apply logic to the situation, stating that Sasuke couldn't of known of the attack anyway. And Naruto tried comforting his best friend as best he could. However, he couldn't ignore the pure agony and tint of blame in the Hokage's eyes when he returned and was informed of the events that had transpired. For Naruto too had lost one of his most precious people when Sakura died.

Sasuke sat down on the soft couch and leaned on his knees, sighing. No matter how many years passed or how much he attempted to atone for his sins, his past would always return to punish him. For those enemies were enemies he'd made during his own dark days as a rogue ninja.

He'd failed. He'd failed Sarada as a father. He'd failed to stay with his family due to his need to travel and keep repenting for his crimes. And worst of all, he'd failed to protect his family. He'd left Sakura to protect their children all on her own. Naruto and Kakashi had to step in to aid her in keeping Sarada and Itachi safe. That was his duty as their father.

Sasuke felt self hatred and shame wash over him like a tidal wave.

He hadn't been there. And now the rogues had escaped. Escaped before the ANBU forces, led by Sai, could track them down. Even Kiba, head of the Inuzuka clan and the best tracker in the Hidden Leaf, was unable to find a direct trace to the enemy.

The Uchiha patriarch had not gone after them in vengeance for only two reasons. One, he had to look after his children. He had not been there to protect their mother; the least he could do was be here for them. And second, Sakura herself.

A sly smirk momentarily passed the Uchiha's lips. Sakura always knew Sasuke better than he knew himself. Even in death, she tried to do what was best for him.

He uncrunched the crinkled letter that was in his right hand and tenderly unfolded it with both his hands; his right hand, and the prothestetic left arm from the First's cells he'd gotten just before his wedding to Sakura.

This was a letter Sakura had written to her husband many years ago, in case she was ever killed in battle or simply died. Ino had given it to him the day of Sakura's burial, telling him that the Uchiha matriarch wanted Ino to give it to him in case anything ever happened to her. It contained her deepest feelings and last wishes she wanted him to carry out.

His mind that was corrupted with grief, loss and hatred was far too distraught and he was ready to track down the bastards who has dared touch his family and killed his greatest love.

Only Naruto's well earned punch to the jaw snapped him out of it and got him to think about his children. And read Sakura's final words to him.

The thought of his kids pained him. The pained screams of Sarada when he arrived at the scene only an hour after the battle. The way she wept painfully over her mother's cold lifeless body that had a gaping hole in her chest. The way little Itachi came running to him sobbing when he saw his mother's unmoving form. However when the older Uchiha began to lose his cool over seeing the person he loved most brutally killed, he remembers Kakashi pulling Itachi away from him and allowing the boy to sob and yell into his uncle figure's chest.

He remembers trying to embrace his daughter, but her pulling away from him, pure agony and resentment and hate in her eyes. And then he noticed the transformation of her Sharingan.

He also remembers his son's sad and angry emerald eyes- his mother's eyes. And Kakashi informed him that Itachi has activated his Sharingan for the first time when he saw his mother dead, although he did not witness her last moments as Sarada had.

The sharingan's new power had taken its toll on the boy's fragile emotional state and Kakashi had to teach Itachi how to carefully deactivate it. Although the ex-Hokage lost his Sharingan from Obito years ago, he still remembered a few things about the bloodline limit.

Kakashi had helped his son with his newly awakened occular powers and soothed the boy until he fell asleep from exhaustion. And only Ino was able to pry Sarada away from Sakurs's corpse and calm her rage down until only sadness was left, allowing her cry into her aunt's loving embrace as she too wept for her best friend.

Sasuke's heart sank at the memories of only a week ago. Once again, others were forced to step in for his children because he was either absent or too lost in his own emotions. And now that their mother was gone, it was up to him to help them through this.

Itachi has been a bit more understanding and the boy was still young, no matter how deemed he was to be a young prodigy. He adored his father and thought he could do no wrong, just as Sarada had been when she was young. Sarada however, barely looked at him except with eyes full of pain and blame. They had yet to utter more than a few word to each other. And she still had not told him what truly happened. He'd only heard Naruto's account of the events, not Sarada's. All he knew was that the rogue nin attacked their compound, wrecked the village for days and were about to kill Sarada when Sakura intervened, taking the blow for their daughter, but not before sending a precise kunai tipped with poison into her murderer's throat, effectively killing him.

Pushing these thought aside for now, he prepared to reread the letter from his wife until the phone began to ring.

Arching an eye brow at this, the Uchiha patriarch rose and in a few strides reached the phone, answering it in his usual gruff fashion.

"What?"

"Sasuke," came the Seventh's serious tone- a tone that was a strange contrast to his usual cheerful one. "Sorry to bother you. But I need you to come down to the office tonight. Usually I'd send an ANBU to get you, but this is a really delicate matter."

The letter lay forgotten on the table as the Uchiha's fist tightened. "What is it?"

"Kiba found a lead on the rogue nins that attacked us and killed Sakura-chan." He heard a sniffle and tremor in the Hokage's voice. Like him, Naruto was still mourning her loss. "He found a slight scent and trail deep in the forest to where they could be. We also found something else. Come down at midnight. This is a delicate matter so only the most trusted of Shinobi are coming. We're already organizing a special team to track them down. We will bring them to justice. For Sakura-chan."

"You found a lead? Good. I'm going to rip them apart. I'll be there at midnight." Sasuke hung up and narrowed his eyes. He would find these sons of bitches. For her.

As he turned to go prepare to depart for the Hokage tower in a few hours, the Uchiha was so engrossed in his thoughts that he'd failed to notice the feminine figure standing in the very window he'd been observing from not even thirty minutes ago.

Unbeknownst to him, Sarada had heard the phone ring with her keen hearing and approached the window, masking her chakra like a true master, just as Sasuke had taught her.

With her newly developed Mangekyō, her eyes were sharper than ever and she'd read her father's lips for the exact words she'd been wanting to hear; "You found a lead?"

She gave her first small smile for the first time in over a week. Here's my chance.

Sarada deactivated her kekkei genkai and stealthily made her way to the back door of the compound. She approached her room and took a shower. She then spent the next few hours sharpening her weapons and packing a few essentials for her journey, as well as changing into her kunoichi uniform.

Once eleven at night rolled around, she heard her father walking towards her bedroom, no doubt to check in on her before heading to the Hokage tower.

The young woman quickly pulled the futon over her, effectively hiding her uniform and feigned sleep, making sure her breathing was deep and even and manipulating her chakra to appear flowed and relaxed. She thanked Kami for inheriting her mother's perfect chakra control.

Sasuke entered the dark room, clothed in his black cloak and gloves to protect him from the chill of the night and to keep him hidden in the shadows as he'd cross the village.

The avenger looked down at his orecious daughter, tracing every feature of her face with his eyes. She was so beautiful. His little girl had always been beautiful. But as she grew older, she becomes a stunning young woman. Her round and sharp lovely features reminded him so much of her mother at that age.

He momentarily allowed himself to softly sit beside his sleeping daughter and brush her dark hair, so much like his own, out of her face, and claps his eyes, remembering a time when she was little and their family was happy and whole and she loved him more than anything.

After a few minutes, Sasuke brought himself back into reality. He loved seeing his little girl like this, relaxed and at peace. Not haunted and angry as she's been all these days, especially in his presence. His heart clenched at the thought but he shoved those feeling aside. He had to do this. For Sakura. For Sarada and Itachi.

Sasuke bent down and softly kissed her forehead as he stroked her hair.

"I know you're angry with me, Sara-chan," he whispered. Sarada nearly bolted up at the mention of her childhood nickname. That Sasuke hasn't used for her since she was eleven. "But I love you, and I love your brother. And I loved your mother with all my heart. I'm sorry I wasn't here. You have every right to hate me. I hate myself. I should've been here to protect her. To protect all of you. But I promise you, I will make this right."

His warm hand caressed her cheek before she felt his weight lift from the bed and he silently left the room, closing the door behind him. She felt his foot steps walk down the hall, no doubt going to check on Itachi.

Sarada's eyes opened, silent tears escaping her eyes at the sound of end father's painful yet sincere words.

She muffled a sob into her pillow, allowing herself this moment of weakness.

Entering his own childhood room, Sasuke stood at the foot of Itachi's bed. The ten year old was fast asleep, his messy black bangs, so like his father's, were tossed and sticking up. The man approached his son, frowning when he noticed dried tear tracks on his cheeks. Itachi had cried himself to sleep. And this time he hadn't gone to Sasuke for comfort.

More self loathing wormed into the man's heart as he sat gently on his son's bed and allowed his hands to comb through the thick strands. Looking at the boy's face, Sasuke saw much of himself. However, he knew under those exhausted eye lids were those beautiful and captivating emerald eyes from Sakura. Eyes that now haunted his every dream, but he drew comfort from seeing them on Itachi's face.

He ran his fingers comfortingly through the boy's hair, in the manner that his own mother did to him as a boy to whisk away his nightmares. Once he felt Itachi relax completely and settle down due to his ministrations in his hair, Sasuke kissed his son's temple softly and murmured a few words as he had done with his daughter.

"Rest easy, Son. I'm going to punish those men that took your mother from us. I promise. I love you and your sister more than anything, just as I loved your mother. I'll be here and I'll never leave you again." He stroked the hair a final time and quietly exited the compound, using the roof tops as a suitable method of travel. He sped through the night, the bellowing night breeze caressing his bangs. He narrowed his eyes, Sharingan and rinnegsm activating in his rage.

I will find them. But this time I will do things differently, Sakura. I promise you.

Sarada rose from her bed several minutes later and made a perfect shadow clone to take her place in bed. She swiftly grabbed her things and kissed her little brother's forehead before heading out into the night, being careful to avoid the many genjutsu traps her father had left set for intruders, and pulled a black cloak over her face as she masked her chakra and trailed after her father on the rooftops.

This was her chance to fulfill her promise to her mother.

**How was that? :) not much action I know. This chapter was to forward the plot and explain the situation of the family as well as how Sakura died. Don't worry there's action coming in future chapters!**

**And I hope Sasuke didn't seem too out of character, but we don't really know much about older Sasuke's personality based on one panel and I figured he would mellow out a little with age and having a family.**

**please review! I'll be updating in the next week or so :) I'll also be updating all my other pending stories this week to those who read my other works.**

**Thanks for your patience everyone.**

**~Foreveralways**


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